Food product and method of preparation

Abstract

A method of preparing aerated food products, especially marshmallows, having a nutritionally fortified ingredient is provided. In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, the method includes the steps of: providing a liquid sugar confection blend comprising: a saccharide component; about 1 to 30% moisture; and a foam structuring agent; adding a dry particulate including a nutritional fortifying ingredient to the liquid confection blend; aerating the liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam; extruding the aerated foam at a heated temperature to form an aerated confection extrudate; cooling the extrudate to solidify the confection to form a set aerated confection extrudate; forming the set aerated confection extrudate into pieces; and drying the pieces. The invention also concerns preparing a liquid confection blend seeded with a sweetener and a nutritional fortifying ingredient that can be used in making the aerated food products.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for preparing an aerated food product, comprising the steps of: 
       A. providing a blend comprising:  
       about 50 to 98% of a saccharide component;  
       about 1 to 30% moisture; and,  
       about 1 to 30% (dry weight basis) of a foam structuring agent;  
       B. adding about 0.01% to 45% of a dry particulate including a nutritional fortifying ingredient to the blend;  
       C. aerating the blend to form an aerated foam having a density of about 0.1 to 1.0 g/cc and a temperature of about 90 to 180° F. (32 to 82° C.);  
       D. extruding the aerated foam at a temperature of about 90 to 180° F. (32 to 82° C.) to form an aerated extrudate;  
       E. cooling the extrudate to form a set aerated extrudate; and,  
       F. forming the set aerated confection extrudate rope into pieces.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein step B includes adding dry sugar crystals in an amount ranging from 1 to 30% (dry weight basis) having a particle size of less than 400 microns. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein step B includes adding about 0.01% to 15% of nutritional fortifying ingredient selected from the group consisting of biologically active components, fiber, micro-nutrients, minerals, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2  wherein in step A at least a portion of the blend is a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener in the form of a dry particulate solid. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein at least a portion of the nutritive carbohydrate sweetener is sucrose. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein at least a portion of sucrose is in the form of a sugar syrup of liquid sucrose. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein at least a portion of step A is practiced at atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2  wherein the step A includes the sub-steps of: 
       admixing to form a sugar syrup slurry:  
       1) a first source of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener,  
       2) a second source of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener in the form of a sugar syrup,  
       3) sufficient amounts of water to form a sugar syrup slurry having a moisture content of about 20 to 30%;  
       cooking the sugar syrup slurry with agitation and indirect heat to dissolve the solids,  
       concentrating the sugar syrup by evaporating water as vapor and venting the vapor to form a concentrated clear syrup having a moisture content of about 2 to 18% and a discharge temperature of about 220 to 320° F. (104.5 to 160° C.).  
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the extrudate is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 80 to 185° F. (26 to 85° C.). 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein step A is practiced to cause the sugar syrup to traverse an annular spiral. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8  wherein in step A, at least a portion of the concentrating substep is practiced under a partial vacuum. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the saccharide component is provided by a fructo oligo saccharide. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  comprising about 0.1% to 25% inulin. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12  wherein at least a portion of the nutritional fortifying ingredient is a calcium material. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1  wherein step B includes adding with about 0.01% to 25% of nutritional fortifying ingredient selected from the group consisting of biologically active components, fiber, micro-nutrients, minerals, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein step B is practiced with adding about 10 to 20% of sugar crystals to the blend. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of dividing the liquid confection blend into at least a first and a second sub-streams to form a first liquid confection blend sub-stream having a first color and a second liquid confection blend sub-stream and adding a colorant to the second seeded liquid confection blend sub-stream to form a second sub-stream having a second color. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17  wherein the foam structuring ingredient is gelatin. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein the ratio of first sub-stream to second sub-stream ranges from about 1:1.1 to 1:50. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of dividing the liquid confection blend involves forming at least three unequal sub-streams. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17  additionally comprising the step of: 
       G. drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 1 to 5% to form dried aerated confection pieces.  
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17  additionally comprising the step of: 
       J. drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 10 to 15% to form soft aerated confection pieces.  
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17  wherein the pieces have a moisture content of about 10 to 15%. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 17  wherein at least a portion of the cooling step is practiced in a swept surface heat exchanger. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 17  wherein step A comprises the sub-steps of 1) providing a concentrated hot clear sugar syrup, and 2) cooling the clear sugar syrup to form a clear cooled sugar syrup having a temperature ranging from about 80 to 185° F. (26 to 85° C.). 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  wherein at least a portion of the sub step of cooling is practiced in a twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  wherein the operating pressure within the twin screw extruder is about 0.1 to 10 psig. 
     
     
       28. The product prepared by the process of  claim 25 . 
     
     
       29. The product prepared by the process of  claim 26 . 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of step A is practiced in a continuous mixing device having a heat transfer means. 
     
     
       31. The product prepared by the process of  claim 30 . 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 1  wherein step A is practiced in a continuous mode. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 1  wherein step A is practiced in batch mode. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 1  wherein step A is practiced in a semi-continuous mode. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one step is practiced in a continuous mixing device having a heat transfer means. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35  wherein the continuous mixing device has a heat transfer means includes a means for heating. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 35  wherein the continuous mixing device has a heat transfer means includes a means for cooling. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 36  wherein the continuous mixing device includes an extrusion device having at least one screw. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 38  wherein the extrusion device is a twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       40. The product prepared by the process of  claim 38 . 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 35  wherein step A is practiced in a continuous mixing device. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 41  wherein step B is also practiced in a continuous mixing device. 
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 42  wherein each continuous mixing device is an extruder having at least one screw. 
     
     
       44. The method of  claim 43  herein at least one continuous mixing device is a twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 44  wherein each continuous mixing device is a twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 35  wherein step B is practiced in a continuous mixing device. 
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 46  wherein the continuous mixing device is an extruder having at least one screw. 
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 47  wherein the continuous mixing device is a twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       49. The method of  claim 47  wherein steps A, B and C are each practiced in the same twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       50. The method of  claim 1  wherein step C is practiced in a twin screw extruder. 
     
     
       51. The product prepared by the process of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       52. A method for continuously forming a clear concentrated sugar syrup in a single vessel by continuously admixing to form a sugar syrup slurry: 
       1) a first source of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener, wherein at least a portion of the first source is in the form of a dry particulate solid,  
       2) a second source of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener in the form of a sugar syrup,  
       3) sufficient amounts of water to form a sugar syrup slurry having a moisture content of about 20 to 30%;  
       cooking the sugar syrup slurry with agitation and indirect heat to dissolve the solids,  
       concentrating the sugar syrup by evaporating water as vapor and venting the vapor to form a concentrated clear syrup having a moisture content of about 2 to 18% and a discharge temperature of about 220 to 320° F. (104.5 to 160° C.),  
       wherein the residence time (“R t ”) of the syrup within the vessel ranges from about 1 to 5 minutes. 
     
     
       53. The method of  claim 52  wherein at least a portion of the first source of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener is sucrose. 
     
     
       54. The method of  claim 53  wherein at least a portion of the concentrating substep is practiced under a partial vacuum. 
     
     
       55. The method of  claim 54  wherein at least a portion of the nutritive carbohydrate sweetener is provided by a fruit material. 
     
     
       56. The method of  claim 55  wherein at least a portion of the nutritive carbohydrate sweetener is provided by a a fructo oligo saccharide. 
     
     
       57. A method of preparing a liquid confection blend seeded with crystalline sugar and useful for the preparation of aerated confections, comprising the steps of: 
       A. providing a liquid confection blend comprising:  
       1. 50% to 94% of nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners,  
       2. 1 to 30% of an aerated confection foam structuring agent, and  
       3. about 5 to 20% moisture;  
       B. conveying the clear concentrated sugar syrup while maintaining the temperature within 5° F. of the discharge temperature to prevent crystallization;  
       C. seeding the liquid sugar slurry confection blend with  
       1. dry sugar crystals in an amount ranging from 1 to 30% (dry weight basis) having a particle size of less than 150 microns, and,  
       2. about 0.1% to 25% of nutritional fortifying ingredient in the form of a dry particulate selected from the group consisting of biologically active components, micro-nutrients, fiber, and mixtures thereof, said nutritional fortifying ingredient having a particle size distribution such that 90% have a particle size of less than 400 microns to form a fortified liquid confection blend.  
     
     
       58. The method of  claim 57  wherein the sugar syrup has a temperature of about 50 to 185° F. 
     
     
       59. The method of  claim 58  wherein step C is practiced to add about 5 to 20% of sugar crystals to the liquid confection blend. 
     
     
       60. The method of  claim 59  wherein the sugar has a particle size of less than 300 μm. 
     
     
       61. The method of  claim 59  wherein the liquid blend comprises about 1 to 4% structuring agent and wherein the structuring agent is gelatin. 
     
     
       62. The method of  claim 57  additionally comprising the step of: 
       aerating the confection blend to form an aerated foam;  
       extruding the aerated foam at a temperature of about 90 to 180° F. (32 to 82° C.) to form an aerated confection extrudate;  
       cooling the extrudate to solidify the confection to form a set aerated confection extrudate; and, forming the set aerated confection extrudate into pieces.  
     
     
       63. The method of  claim 62  additionally comprising the step of: 
       drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 1 to 5% to form dried aerated confection pieces.  
     
     
       64. The method of  claim 62  additionally comprising the step of drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 10 to 15% to form soft aerated confection pieces. 
     
     
       65. The method of  claim 64  additionally comprising the step of drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 1 to 5% to form dried aerated confection pieces.